How would you spend the days with your daughter if you find out she’s about to go blind soon? For Catrina Frost, a mother from Phoenix, the answer would be to take her to an epic adventure so she would have memories to treasure before she loses her sight.
Cailee Herrell, Catrina’s daughter, has been diagnosed with Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) which means she is suffering from progressive vision loss. Since she was 3, she has already undergone five laser eye surgeries because of retinal hemorrhages. All the treatments, however, are only delaying the inevitable since, as Distractify tells us, “her retinas will eventually detach from her eyeballs, meaning she could go blind any day now.”
Photo credit: via Distractify
Catrina then decided to do something for her young child. She took her to a sightseeing tour so she can travel to different places before she loses her sight.
According to Catrina:
“My friend lost her vision eight years ago – I can’t imagine what it’s like and so I asked her if it was just black. She told me it wasn’t because she has memory vision so if I say I’m wearing a yellow shirt, her mind will see it. Her memory bank is full and that’s why we created the sighting seeing bucket list – it’s not just adventures but it’s important for her future.”
So Catrina took Cailee to Disneyland so she can meet and greet with all the princesses. They also visited San Diego to check out the ocean plus they also went to enjoy various outdoor activities such as hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and more.
Currently, Cailee has started practicing Braille and is practicing using a cane while walking.
Catrina continues:
“It’s been an emotional roller-coaster as I tried to wrap my head around my daughter going blind, and not knowing when it is going to happen.”
“I am so tearful when I think about it. No parent wants to see their child lose their sight. I would trade places with her in a heartbeat.”
If you’re interested about helping fund Cailee’s adventure, go to her GoFundMe page.
What Is Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy?
Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a “hereditary disorder that can cause progressive vision loss,” according to the Genetics Home Reference website.
The site further tells us:
“This condition affects the retina, the specialized light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. The disorder prevents blood vessels from forming at the edges of the retina, which reduces the blood supply to this tissue.”
GHR also adds:
“The signs and symptoms of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy vary widely, even within the same family. In many affected individuals, the retinal abnormalities never cause any vision problems. In others, a reduction in the retina’s blood supply causes the retina to fold, tear, or separate from the back of the eye (retinal detachment). This retinal damage can lead to vision loss and blindness. Other eye abnormalities are also possible, including eyes that do not look in the same direction (strabismus) and a visible whiteness (leukocoria) in the normally black pupil.”